The moment Mr. 3 landed on the execution platform, he felt a sudden flash of light. Luffy saw it too. He looked up to see Fleet Admiral Sengoku in his golden Buddha form, his massive golden palm coming right for them. The powerful shockwave blew Luffy and Mr. 3's hair all over the place.
"Mr. 3, get the lock!" Luffy yelled, rushing forward with his King Kong Gun.
With a loud bang, the two attacks collided before they even touched. Purple-black arcs of Haki spread with the shockwaves, and the entire platform shook as if it were about to shatter. Mr. 3 didn't hesitate. He kicked the two executioners away and prepared to make a key.
But in the next second, Mr. 3 felt a refreshing coolness over his head, like he was being washed in seawater. Then, he felt a weird sensation, like he was a rag on a clothesline.
Vice Admiral Tsuru calmly walked onto the platform. "I won't let you succeed!" she said. She had used her Wash-Wash Fruit ability on Mr. 3, leaving him completely powerless.
Meanwhile, Luffy was sent flying by Sengoku's shockwave. He quickly stomped his feet down, turning in mid-air and rushing back toward the platform.
"I'm not letting you go up there again!" Kizaru's voice rang out, and a Yata no Kagami appeared above Luffy's head. Kizaru kicked Luffy in the head, sending him plummeting to the ground, where he left a deep crater.
The Marines breathed a collective sigh of relief. They had stopped Luffy and Mr. 3 just in time. If they had managed to save Ace, all the Marines' efforts would have been in vain.
The Whitebeard Pirates, on the other hand, felt immense disappointment. They were so close. If Mr. 3 had just had enough time to make the key, Ace would have been saved. They hadn't expected Vice Admiral Tsuru to intervene.
Seeing their low morale, Whitebeard immediately shouted, "My sons! If the Straw Hat Boy can get on that platform, so can we! Everyone, keep fighting for me!"
"OHHH!!!" With just a single word from Whitebeard, their morale shot back up.
The Marines' morale wasn't bad either, and the two sides resumed their fierce fighting. It was impossible to tell who would win.
Little Oars Jr. had been moving forward smoothly, but Vice Admiral Onigumo and several other Vice Admirals had personally stepped in to stop him. Onigumo was the Vice Admiral in charge of the Buster Call, and he was very strong, so Oars couldn't handle him alone.
Jinbe was stopped by Doflamingo. Ivankov was still dealing with Bartholomew Kuma. Sabo and Marshall D. Teach were fighting to a stalemate in the air. The rest of the Straw Hat crew was trying to push forward but was blocked by a large number of Marines. The other Warlords were also joining in; Mihawk kept pressing Vista, while Boa Hancock attacked both Marines and pirates.
The entire battlefield was in chaos, but at least the Marines had managed to stop the forces trying to reach the execution platform. However, the Marines' situation wasn't good, and their battle line could break at any moment.
Sengoku canceled his Buddha form, his expression grim as he watched the stalemate. He saw the exhaustion of the Marines and the large number of wounded. It was not looking good for them. With a dark expression, he yelled, "Marines! Are you going to just stand there and watch?! I ordered you to help, not to stand by and watch the show!"
The Marines near the execution platform were a little unsure of what to do. They looked at Marshall D. Teach, who was fighting in the air. Marshall D. Teach had a good grasp of the battle and knew the enemy would be difficult to deal with, so he gestured to his crew, and they immediately rushed onto the battlefield.
Sengoku breathed a sigh of relief. With the addition of new reinforcements, the Marines' morale was boosted, and they once again began to suppress the Whitebeard Pirates and the Impel Down prisoners. The new recruits were full of energy and immediately caused great damage to the Whitebeard Pirates.
Whitebeard sent Aokiji flying with a punch, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the new reinforcements and couldn't help but feel worried. I can't let this continue! What should I do?
Sengoku could see the same thing as Whitebeard, so he immediately called for the two executioners to step forward and prepare to execute Ace early.
"Ace!" Luffy yelled anxiously, but Kizaru tangled him up again.
"Pops! Sengoku's going to execute him early!" Marco and the others also grew anxious.
Whitebeard squinted, smashing another of Aokiji's attacks with a punch. He looked up at Sengoku, and their eyes met. In that split second, Whitebeard knew that Sengoku was serious. He wasn't trying to provoke them; he really intended to execute Ace!
Sengoku, you're going to try and keep all of the pirates here! But I'm not going to let you win! Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki rushed toward the platform, but Sengoku stood at the front and pushed out his palms, blocking the Haki from reaching the executioners.
"Execute!" Sengoku gave the order, and the executioners immediately raised their longswords.
At that moment, two desert swords streaked across the sky, taking the heads of the two executioners. But Sengoku was standing right there and wouldn't let them succeed. He shot a shockwave, which instantly shattered the desert swords.
Sengoku looked down at Crocodile in the plaza. "Crocodile, do you still want to fight the Marines?" he said, displeased. Crocodile had wanted to kill Whitebeard, but now he was suddenly trying to help him. His motivations were unpredictable. Fortunately, Sengoku had defended them in time, or Crocodile would have succeeded.
Seeing the executioners' swords about to fall, everyone in the Whitebeard Pirates and the Straw Hats felt anxious, and some even despaired. Is it really impossible to save Ace?
"ROOM!" A distinct voice suddenly echoed, and a spherical space unfolded, covering the execution platform and the area around it. Sengoku was taken aback and immediately looked toward the houses behind them. "This is not good!"
Swoosh! Ace disappeared without a trace. Everyone's eyes widened, but Luffy and the Straw Hats grinned. Yes, we still have a crew member!
In the next second, a massive flame rose from the houses. Ace was seen flying toward the square on the flames, having successfully escaped his seastone handcuffs. Seconds later, he managed to land right next to Whitebeard.
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